Boot and shoe



E. B- HAFERTEPEN.

BOOT AND SHOE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.23,1920.

Patented July 18, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

E. B. HAFERTEPEN.

BOOT AND SHOE.

Patented July 18, 1922.

Z SHEETS -SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES EDWARD B. HAFERTEPEN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

BOOT AND SHOE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 18, 1922.

Application filed August 23, 1920. Serial No. 405,213.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD B. Hiirnn'rn- PEN,a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county ofHamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Boots and Shoes, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to novel means for correcting and supporting fallenarches of the feet.

The flexible arch-support shoes now on the market have a tendency, afterthe newness is worn off, to sag and lose the benefit for which they wereintended. In the making of such flexible arch-support shoes, the lastupon which they are constructed is hollowed out in the shank to allowthe molding of a high arch in their construction. This molding of theshank being done while the leather is very wet allows the formation ofan arch support, but after short wear by feet which are flat and havefallen arches, the tendency of the shoes is to fall back to the naturalposition of the fiat leather of which they are made, and lose thebenefits entirely for which they are built.

The object of my invention is to overcome the foregoing objection and toprovide av comfortable bandagelike resilient shoe whereby the archsupport is adapted to maintain its position under continued use and tofirmly and yet slightly resiliently support the arch of the foot in itsproper position.

My invention consists in constructing the shoe of the welt, turned orMcKay type in the usual manner, except that a firmly and closely wovenheavy fabric, such as duck or canvas. or a heavy strong leather or otherequivalent shank-piece is inserted between the outer and inner sole. orabove the sole of a turned shoe, as the case may be, and extending fromover the heel to the ball of the shoe, and stitched therein by a row ofstitches extending entirely through said inner and outer soles andshank-piece or through said sole and shank-piece, as the case may be,entirely around near the edge of said shankpiece to firmly hold saidshank-piece and soles together while the inner and outer soles are intheir properly formed or molded wet condition, thereby preventing anylowering or sagging of the arch, then reinserting the last in the shoeand allowing it to dry and set in its proper arched positionv Myinvention further consists in constructing the shoe with my improvedarch so that when finished the inner side of the ball of the shoe willbe a trifle higher than the outer side, compelling the foot with fallenarch to assume its normal position and tread.

My invention also consists in the peculiar construction, combination andarrangement of parts and in the method employed in producing the shoe.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a bottom view of a welt shoe with outer sole turned back andshowing the shank-piece in position;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the shank;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the left shoe showing theposition is assumes upon the floor before the weight of the user isplaced thereon; and

Fig. 4 is a bottom view showing the stitches by which the shank-pieceand inner and outer soles are held in fixed relation to one another, thedotted line showing the position of the stitching above the heel.

In the embodiment of my invention as illustrated and which shows apreferred construction, I have used the welt type of shoe, in which theupper 10, insole 11 and welt 12 are stitched together in the usualmanner. I then insert a shank-piece 13 of firmly and closely woven heavyfabric, such as canvas or duck, or a piece of heavy strong leatherbetween the outer sole 14 and the insole 11, and in the space formed bythe welt extending from near the back of the heel to the ball of theshoe and having its edges resting closely adjacent to the welt 12. Thefiller 16 is placed in the regular way and the outer sole 14 is thenstitched to the welt 12 in the usual manner, after which the last iswithdrawn. The shank is then sewed in position by a row of stitches 15entirely around near its edge through the inner and outer sole andthrough said shank-piece while said soles are in a wet state in order tohold them in proper arched position to each other and to saidshank-piece, after which the last is reinserted and the shoe is finishedin the regular way.

This combination and arrangement of parts secured together under theconditions set forth results in forming a permanent slightly resilientbandagelike suspension arch-support which will maintain itspredetermined position under long usage and will at the same timepossess sufficient resiliency to always return to its normalpredetermined position while yielding slightly under unusual downwardpressure cit the toot.

The turned shoe is made in exactly the same way except that theshank-piece is stitched to the inside or the sole through and throughtherewith whereupon it is relasted and finished.

The firi'nly and closely woven fabric will overcome any sagging and willnot give way under usage, but will maintain its supporting qualities.

An advantage of my improved construction is that my improved shank beingstrong and non-exoansible longitudinally and being iirmly anchored atboth ends to the preformed arch, while at the same time possessing aslight degree of resiliency or elasticity between its anchored ends,terms a slightly resilient suspension arch having suillcient resiliencyto recoil to its normal elevation after yielding slightly to anyexcessive pressure. v

By reference to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the inner side of the ballotthe shoe is termed a trifle higher than the outer side which is normallyheld in that position by my iinproved arch and compels the foot with a-fallen arch to assume its normal tread, thereby correcting what iscommonly called toeing in, and compelling the foot to follow theconstruction of the last, thereby making the user walk correctly. 7

It will be apparent that my invention is capable of some modificationwithout dept ture from its scope or spirit, as tor instance, thematerial used in the construction of the shank-piece may be leather orheavy tabrii'i or any other similar material which is adapt ed to besewed into posi' on throughout its length, whereby the arch is caused tomaintain its suspensiondike normal resilient nonexpansiblc position, andthe ssh ank-piece may be varied in length, width and thickness accordingto the size or other conditions oil the shoe.

The preferred material, so tar as I am at present aware, for theconstruction of the shanlnpiece consists of firmly and closely wovenheavy tabfiic, such as canvas or duck for the reason that when it issewed between the inner and outer soles or upon the sole, as the casemay be, it is caused to be drawn more closely and firmly to the sole,thereby forming a closer union therebetween and entirely preventing thepossibility of squeaking. The shank being inserted dry while theadjacent soles are bound thereto while wet and allowed to dry and set,overcomes any tendency or the soles to resume their natural fiatcondition.

ll 'hat 1 claim as new by Letters Patent is:

l. A boot or shoe having the inner and outer soles made to conform tothe shape of the last, a shank-piece sewed therebetween and extendingfrom the heel of the shoe to the ball thereoi by stitches through andthrough said inner and outer soles and shankpieceadapted to'hind andhold said shankpiece and inner and outer soles in fixed rela tion toeach other.

2. The herein described method of producing a boot or shoe with a shankpiece which consists in inserting a shank-piece in the space within thewelt and between the inner and outer soles extending from over the heelof the shoe to the ball thereof and stitching said soles and shanktogether through and through when said soles are in wet condition toretain the term in. which the shoe was molded, and then reinserting thelast and al lowing the shank piece to dry and set in its preformedposition.

A boot or shoe having a sole formed with. its inner side normally atrifle higher than its outer side, and a shank-piece firmly and fixedlysecured to the sole throughout the, length of said shank-piece extendingfrom the heel of the shoe to the ball thereof, whereby pressure of thetoot upon the sole will throw the toe outwardly, subsi'l-ant-ially asset forth. and for the purposes specified.

l. in a. shoe, a shaukpiece tor a suspension arch comprising anelongated strip of rigidly and closel y woven heavy fabric such ascanvas or duck which is adapted to be sewed throughout its length to andbetween the inner and outer soles as a support for the arch of the shoe.

5. A shank piece tor boots and shoes comprising a strip non-expai'isiblelengthwise, and which is adapted to be stitched throughout its lei'igthto the inner and outer soles thinugh and through to form a suspendedbandagelike arc-h.

6. A shoe having a shanlr piece stitched to the outer and inner solesthroughand through substantially throughout its length,

EDll/ ARD B. HAFERTEPEN.

and desire to secure

